Shortstack

All Around Card LLC is thinking outside the rectangle - with its circular card design, which is in line with the miniaturization trend of gift and credit cards.

The All Around Card comes in two distinct looks: a circular gift and loyalty card, or a circular credit card with a straight-edge bottom. The credit card is easy to swipe at any POS terminal.

The company hopes customers' eyes will be drawn to the circular card when choosing a form of payment from their wallets or purses.

The company's Web site, www.theallaroundcard.com, has a video tour for those intrigued by the design. Front and back views of the cards are also displayed.

Loopy laws

If any of your merchant customers own beauty salons in Florida, take note: People may be fined for falling asleep under hair dryers in the Sunshine State, as can owners of salons where drowsy clients drift off.

Which of these statements is correct?

1. Debit cards comprised 3.08% of total U.S. purchase volume in 1989, 14 years after their inception.

2. B2B stands for bill-to-bill.

3. Currently, rewards interchange categories apply only to credit card transactions.

4. PCI Advisor is a bona fide category of payments industry professional.

   Point here for the answer.

MLScapes

Recently a merchant called our technical support 800 number.

"What hours is your call center open," he asked.

"Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week," I said.

"Is that Eastern or Pacific time?" he asked.

^{Source: basicjokes.com}

Biz Bytes

Accounts receivable are amounts due from your customers to your business. Typically, they are short-term (up to 120 days) and belong under the current assets section of your balance sheet.

Accounts payable are amounts due to your creditors from your business. Generally, these are short-term, too, and belong under the current liabilities section of your balance sheet.